Centrifugal blasting wheel and blade latching means

ABSTRACT

A centrifugal blasting wheel in which the blades extending crosswise between the spaced parallel plates of the wheel are locked in the wheel by a locking member mounted for rotational movement about an axis parallel to the axis of the wheel and having a lobe which extends alongside the face of the plate including an arcuate portion which extends into a recess in the edge portion of the blade, when in one position of adjustment, and which is free of the blade, when in another position of adjustment.

[ July 17, 1973 United States Patent [1 1 Haberlin 3,436,867 4/1969 51/93,513,597 5/1970 DeGroot ct 51/9 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 1CENTRIFUGAL BLASTING WHEEL AND BLADE LATCHING MEANS [75] Inventor:

Hans Paul Haherlin, Schaffhausen, Switzerland GreatBritain................u..l....... 3/1952 [73] Assignee: TheWheelabrator Corporation,

Mishawaka, Ind.

Mar. 19, 1971 Primary Examiner-Donald G. Kelly [22] Filed:

[21] Appl. No.: 126,039

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 6792/70 tending crosswise betweenthe spaced parallel plates of the wheel are locked in the wheel by alocking member 51/9 mounted for rotational movement about an axis paral-B24t lel to the axis of thewheel and having a lobe which ex- 51/9 tendsalongside the face of the plate including an arcuate portion whichextends into a recess in the edge portion of the blade, when in oneposition of adjustment, and which is free of the blade, when in anotherposition of adjustment.

May 6, 1970 Switzerland.........................

[51] Int. [58] Field of [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,119,813 51/9 2,819,562 H1958 51/9 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIENIEQJUL 1 7191s SHEEF 1 UF 2 WIIIIIIIII INVENTOR.

m Nfi x 5 5 L, ME, p8 L PATENTEU JUL 1 7191s sum 2 or z VIII/"II I/CENTRIFUGAL BLASTING WHEEL AND BLADE LATCHING MEANS This inventionrelates to a blasting wheel for throwing particulate material and itrelates more particularly to a centrifugal wheel having a pair ofcircular disc plates mounted in spaced parallel relation for rotationtogether about a common central axis, with crosswise aligned grooves inthe opposing faces in which the lateral edges of interchangeableradially extending blades are received, with locking members mountedbetween the disc plates for swiveling movement into and out of lockingengagement with the blades to prevent outward displacement of the bladesfrom their position of use.

In the German Pat. No. 834,340, description is made of a blasting wheelin which each blade is prevented from outward displacement by a lockingmember mounted for swiveling movement between the disc plates forengagement with a catch that is located the backside of the associatedblade.

It is an object of this invention to provide a centrifugal wheel of thetype described which embodies an improvement in the means for releasablylocking the blades in position of use between the disc plates, whichenables the production of a wheel of reduced cost, which provides forgreater latitude in operation and use of the wheel, and in which theblades are capable of being swiveled through an angle of 180 about thewheel axis to enable operation of the wheel in either direction.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention willhereinafter appear, and for purposes of illustration, but not oflimitation, embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which FIG. I is a front elevational view,.partially insection, of a blasting wheel embodying the features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 showing another embodiment ina blasting wheel;

FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a view showing hexagonal hub.

In accordance with the practice of this invention, the blades of thewheel are formed with recesses in their upper and lower edge portions toenable the blades to be reversed through a radial angle of 180 with therecesses positioned to receive portions of a locking member to securethe blades against relative longitudinal movement.

Referring now to the modifications shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of thedrawings, the blasting wheel 1 comprises a pair of circular disc plates3 and 4 interconnected one to the other in spaced parallel relation byconnector bolts 2 which extend therebetween. The disc plate 3 isconnected in the conventional manner onto a hub 1 disc plates,preferably adjacent an intermediate portion of the blade.

The flank portions 11 at the edges of the blades 7 are formed onopposite sides with recesses 10, preferably of curvilinear shapecorresponding somewhat to the curvature of the periphery of the lockinglobe of the locking member or slightly greater, so that the blade 7 canbe swiveled about a radial axis and still present a recess forengagement with the locking member for locking the blade in position ofuse.

The blades 7 are in the form of metal plates of substantiallyrectangular shape with at least one side provided with a wear resistantworking surface over which the particulate material is centrifugallydisplaced in response to rotation of the bladed wheel at high velocity.In the alternative, by reason of the improvement of this invention, bothof the faces of the blade may be in the form of a wear resistant workingsurface. At their edges, the blades 7 are formed with downwardly andupwardly directed flanks 1 1 to provide edge portions of increasedcross-section in which the arcuate recesses 10 are provided, having acurvature corresponding to the locking lobes 12 of the locking member 9hereinafter described.

In the illustrated modification, the locking member 9 comprises a sleeve13 which encases the spacer bolt 2. The locking lobes extend outwardlyradially from the ends of the sleeve for a distance greater than thespaced relationship between the axis of the lobe and the adjacent edgeof the adjacent blade but less than the distance between the center andthe base of the recess and in endwise alignment therewith so that theperipheral portion of the lobe will be received in fitting relationshipwithin the recess when the sleeve is rotated to locking position. Asector is cut from a portion of the lobe to provide a flattened section15 spaced from the center by an amount less than the distance betweenthe center and the adjacent edge of the adjacent blade so that, when thesleeve is turned to position the flattened portion 15 alongside theflanks 11, the blade will be free of the locking member to enabledisplacement within the receiving grooves relative to the disc platesfor removal or replacement.

To insert a blasting wheel blade, the locking member is rotated toposition the flattened portion 15 alongside the grooves. This enablesthe blade to be inserted through the grooves into the wheel until theblade is inserted to its proper seat with the recessed portion 10 facingthe locking member 9. The sleeve is then swiveled until the annular lobeportion penetrates into the arcuate recess 10 of the blade to preventlongitudinal displacement of the blade from its seated position andthereby to lock the blade in position of use. When it is desired toremove a blade for repair or replacement, or to turn the blade about aradial axis through an angle of 180, the sleeve is again swiveled towithdraw the lobe portion from within the recess and to position theflattened portion alongside the groove. This frees the blade forlongitudinal displacement within the receiving grooves.

The sleeve 13 can be swiveled by various means such as by a mandrelwhich can be inserted as a handle in opening 16 provided incircumferentially spaced apart portions of the sleeve, or the sleeve canbe formed with an outer contour of polygonal shape, as shown in FIG. 4,such as a hexagon, so that a wrench or open jaw screw spanner, or othertool, can be used to effect the desired turning movement between bladelocking and unlocking positions.

In the modification of FIG. 1 there is a locking member for each bladeand in the modification of FIGS. 2 and 3, a locking member 9 isassociated with each pair of blades 7 so that the cost and weight of ablasting wheel can be substantially reduced.

The blasting wheel blades may be of different lengths and project beyondthe outer rim of the circular disc plates 3 and 4. This permitsmodification with respect to the ejection of the blasting material whilethe rate of rotation of the blasting wheel remains the same.

By way of modification, the operating surface of the blasting wheelblade 7 may be concave or arcuate through its working surface andwidened toward its outer ends.

it will be apparent from the foregoing that there is provided a blastingwheel of relatively simple design but which embodies a number ofpossibilities for application ranging from variation in throwingvelocity of the blasting wheel as well as modification in theconfiguration of the jet as well as operation of the blasting wheel inthe clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

It will also be apparent from the foregoing that there is provided asimple and efficient means for releasably locking the blades in positionof use within the grooves of a centrifugal blasting wheel and that awheel of greater flexibility and of lower cost can thereby be provided.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the details ofconstruction, arrangement and operation without departing from thespirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a blasting wheel formed of a pair of frame plates mounted inspaced parallel relation for rotational movement about a common axis,crosswise aligned grooves extending radially in the inner faces of theplates, and throwing blades extending crosswise between the plateshaving lateral edges slidably received in said grooves for removablyretaining the blades in the wheel, the improvement in which the bladesare dimensioned to extend crosswise between the plates with the lateraledges seated within the said grooves and in which the lateral edgesextend from the opposite faces to provide flange portions and an arcuaterecess in said flange portion, and a locking member mounted between saidplates for rotational movement about an axis parallel to the axis of thewheel including a lobe portion adjacent to one of the frame plates, saidlobe portion extending radially inwardly from the hub section andincluding an arcuate portion which extends into said recess when thelocking member is rotated to locking position and a flattened portionwhich is free of said recess when the locking member is rotated tounlocking position, and means for rotating said locking member betweenlocking and unlocking positions.

2. A blasting wheel as claimed in claim 1 in which the locking memberincludes a central hub provided with circumferentially spaced apartopenings for receiving a tool to effect turning movement between lockingand unlocking positions.

3. A blasting wheel as claimed in claim 1 in which the locking memberincludes a central hub having an outer contour of polygonal shape forengagement by a tool to effect turning movement.

4. A blasting wheel as claimed in claim 1 in which the blades are formedwith recesses on opposite sides of the edge portions so that the bladescan be swiveled by about the radial axis of the wheel in position ofuse.

5. A blasting wheel as claimed in claim 1 in which the locking membercomprises a central hub encasing a pin extending crosswise between theplates and about which the hub is rotatable and lobes extending radiallyoutwardly from the opposite ends of the hub adjacent the faces of theplates.

6. A blasting wheel as claimed in claim 5 in which the lobes comprisecircular disc members the outer periphery of which is spaced from thecenter of rotation by an amount greater than the distance between thecenter of rotation and the side of the blade containing the recess butless than the distance between the center of rotation and the base ofthe recess and in which the lobe is formed with a chord portionproviding a flattened edge spaced from the center of rotation by anamount less than the distance between the center and the edge of theplate.

7. A blasting wheel as claimed in claim 1 in which a locking member isassociated with each pair of blades. =8 2 t

1. In a blasting wheel formed of a pair of frame plates mounted inspaced parallel relation for rotational movement about a common axis,crosswise aligned grooves extending radially in the inner faces of theplates, and throwing blades extending crosswise between the plateshaving lateral edges slidably received in said grooves for removablyretaining the blades in the wheel, the improvement in which the bladesare dimensioned to extend crosswise between the plates with the lateraledges seated within the said grooves and in which the lateral edgesextend from the opposite faces to provide flange portions and an arcuaterecess in said flange portion, and a locking member mounted between saidplates for rotational movement about an axis parallel to the axis of thewheel including a lobe portion adjacent to one of the frame plates, saidlobe portion extending radially inwardly from the hub section andincluding an arcuate portion which extends into said recess when thelocking member is rotated to locking position and a flattened portionwhich is free of said recess when the locking member is rotated tounlocking position, and means for rotating said locking member betweenlocking and unlocking positions.
 2. A blasting wheel as claimed in claim1 in which the locking member includes a central hub provided withcircumferentially spaced apart openings for receiving a tool to effectturning movement between locking and unlocking positions.
 3. A blastingwheel as claimed in claim 1 in which the locking member includes acentral hub having an outer contour of polygonal shape for engagement bya tool to effect turning movement.
 4. A blasting wheel as claimed inclaim 1 in which the blades are formed with recesses on opposite sidesof the edge portions so that the blades can be swiveled by 180* aboutthe radial axis of the wheel in position of use.
 5. A blasting wheel asclaimed in claim 1 in which the locking member comprises a central hubencasing a pin extending crosswise between the plates and about whichthe hub is rotatable and lobes extending radially outwardly from theopposite ends of the hub adjacent the faces of the plates.
 6. A blastingwheel as claimed in claim 5 in which the lobes comprise circular discmembers the outer periphery of which is spaced from the center ofrotation by an amount greater than the distance between the center ofrotation and the side of the blade containing the recess but less thanthe distance between the center of rotation and the base of the recessand in which the lobe is formed with a chord portiOn providing aflattened edge spaced from the center of rotation by an amount less thanthe distance between the center and the edge of the plate.
 7. A blastingwheel as claimed in claim 1 in which a locking member is associated witheach pair of blades.